Fostering Change, Starting at the Root
Very often people try to minimize exclusion and “othering” by treating them as isolated events. However, when a number of similar events occur over time, there is at minimum a pattern to be considered, and when a pattern persists over a long enough period of time and over a dispersed geography, it becomes evident that there is a systemic cause.
Exclusion and targeting are not simply the actions of individual people or even a pattern of exclusionary behavior and microaggressions, but what has been termed a structural or systemic phenomenon. As such if an organization truly wants to become inclusive, equitable, and just, it must change at a systemic level — it must transform its culture, the root of the issue.
In order to create sustainable change at a systemic level, we recommend that the work starts at the top of the organization or division. Top management engagement is the fuel that drives organizational culture change. Once top management has demonstrated their ongoing commitment to a just and equitable culture, the focus shifts to middle managers. If top management is the fuel, middle managers are the drive train — where the energy of the engine is translated to new thinking, new cultural practices, and new practices and actions on the ground.
Better Man Leadership consultants work with organizations to custom-design engagements that create a new culture.
Our work is:
“The approach was so different that the sessions were equally captivating.”
Better Man Leadership consultants have worked with all levels of organizations around the world to dismantle systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and the intersection of all these. In every case, our thesis is that those who are targeted or “othered” do not bear the burden of relieving their own oppression — it is the job of those in power to do their work to become aware of their bias and privilege, listen with empathy and compassion, own their impact, whether intended or not, and take action to become advocates for change.
We accomplish this by creating an atmosphere free of shame and blame and engaging deeply with clients to support them and to equip them with tools to change their organizational culture.
